Coffin



DAVID GERWE, OF S'I. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

CoFFl'N.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 621,407, dated March 21, 1899.

Application filed September 17, 1898. 'Serial N0 6911168- (NO model-J To @ZZ wir/0m, t may concern.:

Beit known that I, DAVID GERWE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ooftins, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cofns, and has for its principal object to provide means for better exposing the corpse to view and for giving the coffin the appearance of an ordinary couch. It consists principally in a false bottom arranged to be vertically movable, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a cofn, showing my device with the false bottom raised. Fig. 2 is a like view with the false bottom lowered. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Like symbols refer to like parts in the several views.

The body of the coffin consists of a box or casket l of any suitable form. Inside thereof is a false bottom 2, which is preferably upholstered or cushioned after the style of a couch. The false bottom is provided with four or more links or bars 3 of equal length pivotally fastened thereto and adapted to turn in a vertical plane or planes lengthwise of the coffin. These links or bars 3 are respectively connected at their middle points to corresponding links or bars 4 of one-half their length and which are pivotally fastened .to the` true bottom of the coffin. The corresponding links of each pair are arranged parallel to each other and maintained in this relation by connectin g-rods 5, pivotally fastened thereto, whereby the movement of one link is transmitted to the link connected thereto by the rod. It is preferable to have the connecting-rods jointed to the lowermost ends of the longer links, as the longitudinal movement is greatest at this point, and therefore' the looseness of the joints has least effect and the leverage is greatest. Practically it is preferable to arrange the pairs of levers along the two sides of the falsev bottom, and it is sufficient to have one connecting-rod on each side.

Divers means may be used for insuring that the upward movement of the false bottom or couch shall be vertical, or approximately so. For this purpose horizontal slots or guides are provided in any suitable piece on or near the true bottom of the coffin, and the ends of the longer links or studs 6 thereon slide in said horizontal slots 7. As shown in the drawings, these studs 6 may constitute the pins for fastening the connecting-rods to the links. This arrangement is, in effect, a lazy-ton gs device, whereby the false bottom or couch can only move up and down in a straight vertical line. Suitable linings and drapery may be arranged so that When the false bottom is raised the corpse may appear to be resting on an ordinary couch. A l

The false bottom or couch may be supported or fastened at any desired elevation by any convenient means--as, for instance, by a frame S, pivoted on the bottom and bridging one end of the false bottom, said frame being provided with notches 9 inv one edge of its upright parts adapted to receive lugs or studs -10, projecting laterally from the sides of the false bottom. So, likewise, any suitable means may be used for raising and lowering the false bottom; but I prefer, as the most simple and appropriate, one or more hand grips or loops ll of cord or flexible fabric fastened to the false bottom.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l'. A coffin having a false bottom, four or more parallel links pivotally connected thereto and having their lower ends arranged to move horizontally, and links pivotally connected respectively to the middle point of the first-mentioned links and to the bottom of the coffin at a distance from said middle point equal to one-half of the length of said firstmentioned links, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l

2. A coffin having a false bottom, four or more links pivotally yconnected thereto and having their lower ends engaged in horizontal slots, and parallel links pivotallyconnected at one end to the bottom of the coffin, said last-mentioned links being of one-half the length of the rst-mentioned links and being pivotally connected thereto respectively at their middle points, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A coffin having a false bottom, four or ICO more links pivotally eonneeted thereto and pairs of links for maintaining them parallel, having their lower ends engaged in horizonsubstantially as and for the purpose set forth. ro

tal slots, and parallel links pivotally connect- Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, September ed at one end to the bottom of the coffin, said 10, 1898.

5 last-mentioned links being of one-half the DAVID GERVVE.

length of the first-mentioned links and being XVitnesses: pivotally connected to them respectively at CEAS. E. VISE,

their middle points, and rods connecting the JAMES A. CARR. 

